Bentella's Campaign
by ellias4life
Summary: Lilac Bentella was just an average tiylan until the king decided to fancy her, causing all sorts of troubles. Read for romance, plot, and action. Rated m for safety (Violence, gore, and hints to mature themes)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Guard duty

`I hate guard duty.` I thought to myself with a grimace as I gripped the pommel of my dagger. I flicked my feline ears in annoyance as another peasant passed below me. I am a Tiylan, a humanoid feline. We have feline heads, tails, and paws, but human like torsoes and arms. Like almost everything, tiylan had several species. The most common were tigers and panthers. There were more rare ones, such as the over egotistical lions and the cunning pumas. I was one of the most rare. I am a snow leopard Tiylan. My fur was a dark grey with black circles marking it, save my chest, neck, and shoulder length brown hair. My chest and below my chin faded into a soft white.

I also lead the Stealth Knives, one of the elite guards trained to protect the king of our kind, King Grimpaw. He is a panther Tiylan and has ruled the tiylan for years with honesty. We werent just soldiers though. We were spies, assassins, guards, or anything the king needed us to be.

"Yea, I feel the same way." Victor said from the branch next to me. He was a purebred tiger Tiylan. He was wearing the same ruddy green cloak I was, with the exception I had a cloth mask covering my feline snout and mouth.

We were stationed in the trees outside the gate of Grimpaw's giant stone palace. He was one of the six soldiers under my command. Victor was a tiger and possibly my best fighter. Alarice was another tiger and my second best. Kyuren and Fisk were panthers, and agile to boot. Hunter was a puma and Hawk was a cross breed between a panther and tiger.

"I didnt say anything." I whispered, digging my claws into the tree branch I was crouching on.

"As the humans say, actions speak louder than words Commander Shadow. That and you hit me wiith this." He said, grabbing the end of my tail.

"Let that go, you know I hate when people mess with my tail." I said, baring my fangs behind my mask as I pulled my tail closer to my body.

"Hey, we have a cloaked figure." He said, pointing to a figure that looked to be a human which was covered in a full body cloak.

"Halt human. Identify yourself and your reason for meeting with the King of Tiylans." A guard said as both guards lowered thier pikes.

"That's none of your business." The human said flatly.

"It is if you wish to see Grimpaw." The second guard said.

"Looks like we might actually get to see some action today." My counterpart said eagerly.

"Only if he puts a guard out of the fight, until then calm down Victor." I said, quieting him. I returned my focus to the human and the guards.

Their debate began heating up. "My business is my own!" The human said impatiently.

I heard a growl and one of the guards beat the bottom of his polearm on the ground. "Then you shall have no business with His Majesty."

"Alright..." The human said with a scowl. "Please let me through."

"Pleasantries wont get you through us human." The guard on the left growled.

"Then I must resort to force!" He said, trying to push through the guards.

That will not work!" They said, pushing him back so he landed faceup on the ground.

"I will make it!" The human said as he pulled out a knife. He plunged it into the left guard's leg. The blow was lessened by his armor, but it still severed fur, flesh, and muscle. The guard plunged to the ground, blood pouring from the large gash in his thigh. The second guard was quicker, but the human still managed to catch him off guard and tripped him.

"Go!" I commanded my group of Stealth Knives to drop out of the trees. Three Tiylans fell out of the trees, surrounding the human. I jumped out of the tree I had been hiding in as well and walked past the triangle of felines to see the human.

"The kings personal assassins, I take it?" The human said with disgust as he moved his hand to his waist.

"If we are needed. I wouldn't recommend that... You couldnt even hold off one of us, much less a whole squad of Stealth Knives." I said, noticing his hand getting ready to grab a blade.

"Dont underestimate me!" He said, rushing at me with his dagger. My reflexes were much faster due to years of elite training to become a Steallth Knife. I grabbed his hand before it was halfway to my chest and pried the dagger from his grip, which was followed by a kick to the back of the legs and a simultaneous punch to the chest, causing him to fall on his back.

"Victor, take care of the guard." I said.

"Yes ma'am." They said, taking the human by surprise.

"You are a woman?!" He said, enraged and embarrassed.

I didnt answer him, but I removed my hood, letting my hair fall behind me. I removed my mask and showed him my smirking feminine face.

"I was beaten by a woman?! I demand a duel! A rematch! If I win, I get to see the king."

"Shit..." I heard the tiylan behind me say.

"Someone call a cleric." I heard the other guard whisper.

"Not a cleric, an undertaker." Fisk said with a laugh.

I flicked my ears in annoyance. "Seeing as how you are naming your own terms, I will do the same. If you lose, and you will, you will tell me why you are here."

"Fine!" He growled.

"Fisk, make sure he can't run." I ordered. He did as commanded and I reached for one of my daggers that were still behind me. I didnt draw it yet, but the human pulled out a sword from a sheath on his hip.

"Rahh!" He yelled as he charged at me. I smirked as I jumped clear over him, which was easy due to the fact I was a tiylan, which were the best jumping bipedal race. We are capable of jumping seven feet into the air easily. Our jumping abilities were thanks to our legs, as we walked on the pads of our paws, so our ankles were higher than normal, allowing us to jump high by acting almost like a second knee. I smiled at his pitiful efforts and swished my tail in amusement. He tried it two more times before he realized his method was useless. "Stop toying with me!" He yelled.

"As you wish, human." I said, reaching into my cloak and pulling out a small capsule. I threw it on the ground and stalked around him as a large cloud of billowing white smoke swallowed the clearing up. I jumped behind him and pressed my dagger that I had finally drawn up around his neck. The smoke cleared and I could see the others were watching, save for Victor, who had left to find a cleric for the guard. There was a round of applause and the human was awestruck. "A deal is a deal human. What do you want with the king?"

"I dont care about any deal with you animals!" He said, eliciting a gasp from the crowd.

"Well then I just might have to eliminate a threat to my king..." I said, tightening my dagger around his throat. I knew I drew blood because he gasped and I could smell it in the air.

"Ow ya bitch! I am here to negotiate with him on some wines."

"You were supposed to use the servant entrance then. To correct your mistake, I am a Tiylan female, not a Canid." I said dryly, releasing him from my hold. I sighed as we jumped back into the tree, letting the red faced human go. It was another few hours before I jumped down, ready to go home. "Fisk, Hawk, Victor, I'm going home. You both may do so as well." I said as I tied my hair into a ponytail. 'That wasnt a reason that really should be hid... He probably just wanted to cause trouble... humans.' I thought with a frown. With that, I began my trip home.

I made my way through the forest until I came to a large clearing with small cottages scattered everywhere. I walked towards the south side of the small tiylan city to my house. I approached my small cabin near the edge of the city and opened the door and I was greeted by another snow leopard tiylan, Roran. He was y brother and was cooki. I gave him a warm smile as I shut our door.

We lived together because it was Tiylan custom. When a female comes to age, she moves out of her parents house and lives with the oldest brother. If the oldest brother has yet to move out, then the female cares for him until he comes of age in the house the parents build and he begins to train in his career feild he chooses. She would move out only when she finds her own mate. After which, she moves in with her mate and settles down and has a family. Due to this and the fact that Tiylan mate for life, there was never a really abundance of houses.

"Hi Lilac." he said kindly, using my real name. I didnt tell my squad of Stealth Knives my real name because I felt that I would lose support and obedience if they learned I was named after a flower.

"Hey Roran." I said as I took off my robe to reveal my naked fur. Nudity wasnt that big of a problem in Tiylan society because our fur covered genetalia and breasts. So long as a male didnt have an erection, nudity was lawful in public. I smoothed down my fur where my robe had messed it up and went to the kitchen to see what he was cooking. The kitchen wasnt much. The south wall was lined with cabinets and there is a pile of sticks and ash in the middle with a metal frame to cook on. On the makeshift grill there were a few slices of pork that looked to be mildly seasoned.

"I heard about the commotion down by the palace and that out of place human." He said with a smirk. "Good thing you dont act that way here, I would get beat up daily, by my little sister no less." He laughed.

"Only if I need to. I told you to go into the guard instead of being a chef." I giggled.

"But I want to cook and cook I will Lilac." He said as he waved the wooden spatula around.

"Fine Roran." I laughed.

"So other than humiliating a human, what else happened?"

"Absolutely nothing." I sighed. "I had to sit in a tree for hours... I am going to be pulling twigs out of my fur for days." I said in disgust.

"Thats why I am not a guard." He chuckled.

"But you need some muscle. Your tail looks thicker than your arms." I joked.

He moved his tail up to his arms in comparison. "That's because I have Mom's slightly poofy fur. You have Dad's smooth coat." He laughed.

It was true, his fur did tend to puff out a little. It was only on his tail and chest though. "Anyway, supper looks done, lets eat." I said, smiling at the food that was over the fire.

"Well it's not. I am the cook, you are the soldier. Go... guard the table or something." He said, playfully pushing me into the living room, which only had a small wooden table and two chairs made out of tree stumps. I sat down, but wasnt at ease for long. I heard the door to our house slam open and I insitinctively jumped backwards, extending my retractable claws and turning in air to face the intruder. I let out a sigh and retracted my claws when I saw that it was Victor.

"Calm down Shadow." He said with a laugh, covering his striped face.

"I told you not to just barge into my house." I said, crossing my arms.

"Hey Vic." Roran said, walking into the living room. "And why must you keep your name a secret fron the other Knives?" He laughed.

"Because how menacing is L- I mean my name?"

"Perfect! I know the first letter. The others are going to love this!" I flicked my ears and frowned. "I um- I mean of course not Lady Nightstrike."

"Better." I smiled.

"But tell me, pleeeeaassee. We have worked togwether for over a year." He said with a smile and he tried pulling off a puppy dog face.

"Just a tip, you arent a canid." I said, referring to the tiylan's sister and rival species. They were canine versions of tiylans which consisted of wolf, dog, hyena, and fox looking breeds. "And since we have been friends for years..." I paused there to notice his face of expectance and laughed. "My name is Amy."

"Dont lie to Victor, 'Shadow'. Besides, I dont think he will believe you have such a human name." Roran said with a laugh.

"Fine ." I said wih a giggle. "My real name Is Lilac. You tell the others and I will kill you in your sleep."

"What name?" He said with a fake look of confusion.

"Good kitty. Is supper done now Roran?"

"Yes it is. Now Chef Crason wants feedback. Victor are you staying?"

Victor rubbeed his furry chin before nodding. "Yea, Elya isnt cooking anything after this time of day, and I am already going to have to explain why I am late."

"I keep telling you she is stuck up and clingy..." Roran said as we all sat down to eat.

"Yea... But we grew up together in Lyn' Kresh and we promised each other we would get married here when we could afford it."

This had made me dream about my own wedding. It had been my girly fantasy ever since I was a kitten, despite it being a human custom. I had always dreamt about marrying another snow leopard and it would be held under the sunset by the ocean. We would have four little kittens and a large house near the ocean. I was lost in my girly imagination until Roran snapped me out of it.

"Lilac, hey, supper. Stop dreaming about your imaginary boyfriend." Roran laughed.

"Hmm...Big tough Lady Nightstrike has a cru-... Ouch..." Victor said, but was interrupted because I lightly punched him in the gut. "She's back..." He said with a pained laugh.

"Yes, she's back." I laughed. "Believe it or not, I have a personal life outside the Knives. By the way, how was that guard?"

"Good. The cleric healed him without a problem, so he will be reporting in the guard house tomorrow morning." Victor explained though a mouthful of meat.

"That's good to know." I nodded.

After that we ate the rest of supper in silence.

"Well Elya is going to be on my tail for being late. Good night Shadow. Night Roran."

"Good night Victor. I expect you to be in early tomorrow."

"Yes comm-wait... Early?"

"I told you my real name. You have to do something for me, right?"

"Ugh... Yes ma'am." He said with a sigh as he left

"You know, I think I might want to see how you treat your soldiers and this different side of you." Roran laughed,

I decided to comply with him amd so I stood up straight and crossed my arms behind my back. I staightened my face into a neutral exppression and faced him. He gave me a questioning look as he bent over to pick up the dishes. "Stand up straight and look directly at me soldier."

"Yes-"

"You will speak only when I ASK you to. Understood?" I said sharply as he stood up straight.

"Y-yes ma'am."

"Ma'am? Ma'am?! You will adress me as Commander Shadow or Lady Nightstrike! Do make myself clear?" I growled despite the overwhelming urge to burst out laughing.

"But Victor-." He said protested.

"You are _not _Victor soldier! You will adress me as what?"

"Lady Nightstrike or Commander Shadow?" He said uneasily.

"I deserve a better answer than that." I said, pinning my ears back.

"Lady Nightstrike or Commander Shadow." He said in a firmer tone of voice.

"Now I want this kitchen spotless when I wake up and I will be checking before I leave an hour before dawn."

"Yes Commander Shadow."

"Good." I said, smiling. "It's a good thing you want to be a cook, you wouldnt last a day in my soldier's shoes." I laughed. "Anyway, I am going to bed. Good night brother." I said, giving him a hug.

"Good night little sister." He purred, hugging me back.

I made my way to my room with a swish of my tail and closed the door. When my dad had built the house for my brother and I, he built it to our specifications. I had only wanted a room with a bed and a few shelves along the wall, where I kept all my baubles from walking around in the forest. My favorite among them was a small clear rock. It was cut to look like a diamond and had a flat top. On the face of the jewel was a small insignia of some sort. It was a target and it had a triange in the middle which had roses growing along it. I marvelled at it in the candlelight and sighed. "No wonder human women love gems so much." I set it back on my shelf and went to sleep for the night.

I woke up in the last hours before dawn like usual to get ready for my job today. It started with a tongue bath and then I made my way into the living room where my cloak rested. I pulled it over my body and sighed as it rubbed against my fur and flicked my tail in annoyance. I belted on my daggers behind my back and walked out the door.

I crossed town, which was still lifeless, and entered the Stealth Knife headquarters which was located behind some trees near the king's palace. Nobody was here at this hour and I expected it, most of us dont wake up until an hour after sunrise, even the other Stealth Knives didnt show until a few minutes after dawn. The headquarter building was not very small, nor was it bulky and very visible. On the outside it was painted a light green with patches if brown to match the forest. On the inside was a large table with many seats for the Stealth Knives. The walls were littered with papers on wanted criminals and missions that are in the process of being completed. My seat was at the head of the table because I was the commander of the order. At my spot was a note attached to the table by a dagger with a golden hilt with leather wrapped grip. The blade was made out of polished metal and overall it looked quite expensive. The letter read:

"Dear Commander Shadow Bentella,

I am hereby personally inviting you to a conference in my chambers at the first rays of dawn. I wish to commend you in your bravery yesterday. Come if you wish.

King Grimpaw

P.s. Keep the dagger as a present. The sheath lies in your chair."

My feline jaw dropped. I looked outside and noticed that the eastern horizon was beginning to brighten. I belted on the dagger after prying it out of the table, leaving a deep gash in the wood. "I guess I will leave now." I said, exiting the headquarters. I ran through the forest and soon approached the stone gate and greeted the two new guards.

"Lady." They both said as they allowed me passage. I walked up the the doors of the simple stone castle and opened them to reveal a lavishly decorated interior. There were banners hanging down the hall, under which were lined with glossy tables. The hall lead to a golden chair upon which a muscular panther Tiylan sat. He was donned in golden chain armor and a sword leaning up against the arm of the throne.

"Ahh, Commander Shadow. You are early." The king spoke in a deep voice that commanded respect. I kneeled down in respect to the king and he laughed. "You need not show such formalities with me. Come, I feel there is much to talk about." He said as he got up and walked down a hall off to the side. I got up and followed him as he lead me down the stone grey halls to a room with two chairs and a bookshelf in the back. "Sit, sit." He urged. I did as asked and sat down, my tail twitching from nervousness. I studied the king's features. By Tiylan standards he was quite attractive. His smooth black fur concealed srong mucles and his face had long whiskers and he carried a strong air of royalty. His eyes were a deep amber and were eyeing me just as hard as I was eyeing him. "It is a good thing you are not a mage." He chuckled.

"Why is that sire?" I inquired.

"Because I would be embarrased by my thoughts of your beauty."

His words caught me off guard and my face grew hot and I could tell my blush showed through my grey fur. "P-pardon?" I stuttered.

"You are quite beautiful. Strong and quick. Agile and gorgeous. I have watched you for some time." He paused and he noticed my nervousness. "Am I coming on too strong?"

My tail quivered at his compliments. "I-I'm sorry my leige, but yes. I am saving myself for the right mate. I dont wish to become just a...a.."

"You dont wish to become a prostitute for someone in power." He finished rather bluntly.

"Yes sir."

"Understandable. Forgive me, being king I have never really tried to woo a woman." He chuckled. "If you wish, I may allow you to stay with me..."

"A-are you proposing?!" I said, taken aback. "Forgive my bluntness, but we dont really know much about each other."

"If it is closeness you wish, maybe I can invite you to dine with me on occasion." He said, folding his hands.

After he said this, my blush began to fade and I was able to answer without unease making me stutter. "It sounds delightful."

"Splendid. I will send for you tonight when the sun touches the horizon. Dont try to dress too fancily, if at all. I am not a hard cat to please." He smiled.

"Yes my lord." I said with a nod.

"I take it you found your gift as well?" He said, making it sound more like a statement than a question.

"Yes, it's a beautiful weapon." I said, drawing the dagger and showing him.

"It was crafted by the famous human smiths in their capitol of Theralmar."

"I am truely honored." I said, sheathing it again.

"Now to the heart of the matter. I summoned you here to commend you on your work yesterday. That human was a good fighter, even by our standards."

"I feel all he knew was just run headfirst and yell." I said, remembering how easy it was to fight him.

"There you go. You seem to be getting more comfortable near me."

I smiled and he returned the gesture. "Well it is no surprise I won. I am the commander of the most elite fighters of our race, save you, your highness."

"Hmm. That almost sounds like arrogance." He nodded. At that moment a servant knocked at the door and entered. He bent low so the king could hear and whispered something that I didnt catch. "It seems my breakfast is ready. Tell me, have you eaten yet?"

"No sir." I said, shaking my head.

"Then do come this way." He said, waving me down another hall. He lead me to a large room with an equally large table. "Chef Crason, I would like another plate for my lovely guest here." He said to a puma tiylan waiting by the middle of the table.

"Wait, you are Chef Crason?"

"Aye, madame." He said with a nod.

"My brother Roran made a great supper last night. He said the recipe was yours."

"Thank you. Roran, you say? He is one of my favorite apprentices. If you will excuse me, I will make you your breakfast now." He said with a bow and he walked away.

"If I may, my lord, my Knives will need orders for today. I fear they will come looking for me if I am not present." I said, thinking of a mission for the present Knives to do.

"By all means, do so." He said with a grin. "I shall await your return."

He pointed me towards the exit annd I ran to the headquarters to find Victor was the only one there. "Lady Nightstrike." He said saluting me in the Tiylan fasion. The Tiylan salute is where one holds his or her forearm vertically in the middle of their chest with a balled fist.

"Victor." I said, saluting him back. "Where are the others?"

"The sundial outside says it is only seven Commander."

"Mmh. Sit. We have missions that need to be done."

"Permission to speak ma'am?"

"Granted." I nodded, siftiing through papers that had various objectives.

"Where were you? It isnt like you to be late ma'am."

"Well, Victor. The king wished to see me... The king fancies me." I said flatly.

"Do you fancy him back?" He said, looking at me, obviously wanting an answer.

"That's personal soldier. I will not be here for an hour or so, the king has invited me to breakfast."

"So you DO fancy him?" He said in a sing song voice.

"You would be _wise _to remember where we are soldier. If you care to know more, I will be at my home before dusk if you want to visit then, feel free."

"Sorry Commander. What is the agenda for today?"

"I was thinking guard duty again." I said with a grimace. "Inform the other Knives. I will return later. The king has invited me to breakfast and I accepted. Get to it soldier."

"Yes ma'am." He said with another salute. I exited the headquarters and made my way back to the palace. I entered the dining room where the king was waiting patiently.

"Ahh, welcome back. Chef Crason is just about done. Sit, I insist."

"Thank you King Grimpaw." I said, blushing some more.

"Ahh, you needn't say 'king' or 'my lord' or any other titles. My name is Shepard."

I had to giggle at the irony. "Your parents named you Shepard?"

"Yes, it is rather interesting. My grandfather was a farmer and an honorable cat, so I am named after him. As for your name, Shadow. I doubt your parents would not name such as gorgeous creature after a panther."

"Your right..." I said, getting nervous.

"Come now, speak up. Our words shall not leave this room, should you wish it."

"M-my real name is.."

"Come now, dont be shy."

"Lilac." I said quickly.

"Lilac... Beautiful name." He said thoughtfully.

"Thank you... Shepard."

"You are getting comfortable." He said as the chef came in with a large plate of food. I sat down next to the king, who seemed pleased.

Breakfast looked delicious. The king had Chef Crason prepare fresh sausages with a quarter dozen robin eggs and a side of berries. "Wow. I am grateful my lo- I mean Shepard."

"It is indeed a meal fit for a king... Mayhap a queen to be as well?" He said, placing his hand near mine.

"I am still not sure... I cant base the rest of my life over a breakfast. We will see what the future holds." I said, patting his hand.

"Take all the time to make sure this choice is the right one. I would not like an unhappy life mate." After saying this he got up and lead me to the gates of the palace doors and waved me off.

"Goodbye my king." I said, walking out of the gate. I could hear snickers coming froom above me and I sighed. "Stealth Knives are supposed to be stealthy. You will all be scrubbing the headquarters until I can see myself in the floorboards. Do I make myself clear?"

There were multiple sighs and I heard my three soldiers say "Yes commander".

"Good." I said, jumping into a tree to begin another long day of watching two guards do nothing.

* * *

><p>Hey guys. I know this isnt exactly fanfic, but I figured I might post here for your reading pleasure. I posted this story earlier as All of Me, but that was a collosal fail. I decided I like the story, so I cut it up and redid it. I hope it Is better thos timearound, sp please R&amp;R (Unless it is for small gramatical or spelling errors, I am aware I cant spell haha)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: A Date With the King

Chapter 2: Date with the King

"About time." I said with a sigh as I jumped out of the tree. I heard Victor jump out of the tree behind me.

"So now that we are off guard duty, are you going to accept the date?" He said with a laugh as he caught up with me.

"Why should I tell you? So you can go brag at the headquarters that you know the most about the secretive Shadow?" I laughed. "Oh, speaking of the headquarters, you and the others need to go scrub. Have fun and I will check when I leave the palace tonight."

"So you are!" He said triumphantly. I flicked my tail and gave him a glare. "Ok... I'm going clean the headquarters... Have a nice time Commander." He said as he left.

I made my way to the house I shared with Roran and walked through the door with a pleased sigh. "Someone sounds happy." Roran said with a laugh.

"Well I got asked on a date." I said cheerfully.

"Well Miss Lilac... Who is he?" He said with a laugh.

"You _really _want me to tell you?" I said, taking off my cloak and looking for more formal clothes.

"Of course." He said, twitching his tail with expectance.

"He is pretty well known..." I said, trailing off.

"Pfft. Who is it? The king?" He laughed.

"Well..." I said, biting my botttom lip.

Roran's jaw dropped. "No freaking way... It can't be the king."

"It is... You should have seen him. He was clueless." I giggled.

"The king... Clueless. I have a hard time believing that."

I found a dress I had gotten a while ago and slipped into it. It was a silky red dress that my dad had bought me for my birthday one year. "He even said so. Would you mind buttoning my dress?" I said turning away from him as he helped me. "I am leaving, bye big bro." I said, giving him a peck on the cheek and hugging him.

"Good luck and have fun. If Grimpaw hurts you, I will come after him." He laughed.

"Have you forgot I am THE most elite of the king's guards?"

"But you wouldn't hurt your big brother, now go have fun." He said, leading me out the door.

"Jeez, you are in a hurry to get rid of me. Do you have a date of your own?"

"Nope." He said as he shut the door with a smile.

"That was strange...` I better check and make sure the boys are doing the floors." I sighed. I walked down to the headquarters and opened the door to reveal several surprised feline faces on all fours.

"Holy shit... Is that Commander Shadow?" Fisk said as he looked up at me.

"Fisk. Language." I said sharply.

"Yep... It's her." He said as he started scrubbing again.

"I am checking on you guys and I will return later. If these floorboards are NOT spotless you will all spend the next week doing it until it is right and there will be silence. Am I understood?" I said looking over their progress so far. It was going along pretty well and I left as they all saluted me.

I made my way down to the gate and the guards let me in with a grin. I entered the throne room and King Grimpaw was still sitting on his throne with a pleased look. "You dissapoint milady. I said for you to not stress yourself with getting ready."

"It wasn't a problem." I said, smiling.

"I also said I would send for you." He chuckled.

"I really don't mind." I laughed.

"Good, this way." He sad, holding out his hand with a smile.

I took his hand and thought about the gravity of what was actually happening. 'The king fancies me... He isn't unattractive. He looks like he would be a good mate and father. I wouldn't have to worry about gold. He is king after all.'

As I was lost I thought, Grimpaw noticed my blank stare. "Is there something on your mind?" He said, squeezing my hand gently.

"Oh, no. Just thinking." I said. 'He is even watching my expressions... Perceptive.'

"I have met you before and you seemed more stern and militant." He said as we turned down the door to the dining hall.

"Ask my soldiers." I laughed. "I am strict to make them the best they can be."

"A good strategy. Should you become my queen I would have to ask you to implement that with the whole military." He said with a hearty laugh. "Anyway, the food is prepared. Behold our feast." He said, swinging his furred arm to the table which had several platters on it.

"Wow..." I said, eyeing the large plate of fish in the center of the table.

"Come, sit down. It isn't getting any warmer." He said with a chuckle.

We sat down at the head of the table and I tried making small talk. "So Ki-.. Err, Shepard... What do you do in your spare time?"

"I am king. All I do is listen and help people with their problems. What about you? What are your favorite past times?"

"I enjoy reading... When I am not out doing field work I also enjoy being with nature. My favorite memory is when I was a kitten and I was walking through the forest with my mother and we were just surrounded with the smells of wildflowers and pine needles." I said with a content sigh as I took a bite out of the catfish. I almost choked on the amount of flavor that was packed into the morsel of food. "This is absoutely delicious."

"It was caught from the southern rivers and baked with choice ingredients all around."

"I am flattered... You clearly have spared no expense in tonight's supper." I said with a smile. 'I just hope he doesn't try to win me over by just buying me...' I though as I finished my fish plate.

Almost as if he read my mind, he clapped his hands together with a content smile. "Tonight is not over my dear. We have one last course and I find it will surprise you. After that, we can tour the palace and talk about each other."

"Sounds lovely." I said, wondering what this surprise was.

"Dessert please." Grimpaw said as he clapped his hands again, louder this time.

A familiar snow tiger tiylan came walking through the hallway to the kitchen and my jaw dropped. "Roran?! You are in the palace as well?"

Roran bowed with a smile as he carried two platters to me and the king. "Yes ma'am. It wasn't luck that I guessed right on the first try." He laughed. "When you get home tell me how dessert was." He smiled as he walked back into the kitchen after revealing two peices of cake. It was vanilla flavored with a cherry on vanilla icing and lightly sugared top.

"Wow... You did this for Roran?"

"He comes here often to train with my chef, and I figured he might enjoy an early start to his career as Chef Roran. Crason says this is his final test for his finest student."

"Well then let's grade." I giggled as I took a bite out of his cake. It tasted fantastic. 'I am definitely going to yell at him for not making food this good later.' I though to myself as I finished my slice of cake.

"Your brother has real talent." Grimpaw said as he set down his fork and licked his chops.

"Mhm. He has wanted to cook ever since our father taught him how to make a fire." I said, remembering that day. I almost had my tail catch fire that day because I didn't know what they were doing.

"Ah. A filling meal. I have one last surprise tonight, if you will have it."

"Of course sire." I said, letting him take my hand in his. He lead me down a hallway I hadn't noticed before and stopped in front of a door with an intricate carving of a flower on it.

"Through here is the last thing on tonight's agenda. Open it." He said, nodding his head toward the door.

I opened the door to and saw a flower field and it puzzled me. "Forgive my bluntness, but why show me a garden at night?"

"Because of this." He grinned as he lead me to a patch of flowers with a dark coloration on the outside. The flowers were closed, so I couldn't see the petals. "Speak your name to the flower."

I gave him a quizzical look, but complied. I moved my head close to the flower and I could smell the scent of the plant. It smelled like the mixture of red apples and rose petals. "Lilac Bentella." I gently whispered to the closed flower. I gasped when the petals slowly began to unfold and open. The inside of the flower had lines of light running from the center of the flower down the middle of each petal. What had surprised me even more was the fact that it began projecting images from these lines of light. I could see myself holding a newborn Tiylan kitten with a happy look on my face as I leaned my head against a male Tiylan that I would assume would be the father. I smiled until I realized it was my happiest goal in life.

"W-what is this?" I said nervously.

"Don't worry my dear. I had my mages create a one of a kind flower. I call it the Dream Lily. A person simply whispers their name and the flower will show you your deepest desire. Yours is to be a mother, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Yes. I feel-..." I trailed off before I could say more than I wanted to. I decided to change the subject before he could question my hanging sentence. "What is your deepest desire?"

"Not so different from yours, to be honest." He said with a smile.

"You wish to mother four little kittens?" I said with a giggle.

"Ahh, twist my words, you do." He said with a laugh. "Perhaps it is best for you to see for yourself." He then whispered his name to the flower like I did and it opened once more. This time it projected images of Grimpaw wrestling with a young boy and laughing as I stood and watched with a smile on my face.

"Y-you wish to sire a son... w-with me." I said, getting choked up.

"Yes... I honestly admit I had not believed in love at first sight until I met you. Thus I make my offer once more, will you stay with me here, in my palace, and be my queen?" He said, taking my hands.

"I-I don't know what to say. Yes, you are a great man, on the other hand, it is so soon." I said, frantically searching for a solution to this problem.

"Say what your heart says." He said, grabbing my hand and placing it on my chest, over my heart.

"I.. I will have your answer within a month." I said finally. 'There. It gives me the time I need and an opportunity to see exactly what kind of cat he is.' I thought with finality.

"I shall wait for it faithfully." He said, giving my hand a kiss.

"Tonight has been wonderful Shepard, but I must leave to sleep. I have an operation to run." I said with a nervous smile,

"And I, a kingdom. Allow me to lead you out."

"Yes, of course." I said as I took his arm in mine and he lead me to the front gate. "Good night Shepard," I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. I could see his armored chest puff out, even in the darkness of the night.

"Good night Lilac. I hope to see you around." He said, waving me off.

I turned down the forest trail, remembering my assignment I gave the snickering soldiers this morning. I opened the doors to reveal three very surprised Tiylan playing cards amongst the candle lit table.

"Uh.. Umm.. Commander. You are uhh..." Victor stuttered.

"Exactly where I said I'd be." I said, looking at the floorboards. They were cleaner than I had seen them in a long time and so I let out a sigh. "Fisk, Hawk, you are free to go home. Victor, you are staying." I could see relief sweep across the two feline faces and dread sink into Victor's.

"B-but the cards were Fisk's idea!" Victor protested.

Once the others had left, I let my features soften. "I don't care about the cards Victor." I said as I sat down and rested my head against my hand.

"Woah... You never look that tired. Is this my commander, or her side that isn't made of metal?"

"It's the side that isn't made of metal. As for you two eavesdropping, unless you want to be giving my headquarters a spa treatment for the rest of your working days here, I suggest you go home." I smiled when I heard frantic whispering and the crackling of leaves toward the direction of town.

"So this is Llilac?" He asked cautiously.

"Yes, this is Lilac."

"Why not go talk to Roran? No offense, but talking to the woman of iron about her personal life is kinda a stretch for me." He laughed.

"Do you want a get out of trouble free card?" I said, picking up an ace from the pile of cards Fisk left behind.

"Yes." He said quickly. "So what's the matter?"

"The king." I said, nodding my head in the direction of the castle.

"Was he rude?"

"Quite the opposite. He tried so hard to win my heart, but I am beginning to wonder why so fast, and now he is proposing."

"Wow... And here I thought I had a shot." He said with a laugh. I eyed him dangerously. "It was just a joke, sorry. Maybe some people just go together like kittens and milk."

"Maybe..." I said, eyeing the king of spades and noticing how similar it looked to Grimpaw. "If you had met Elya this morning, would you still want to marry her?"

"Without a doubt I would." He said quickly. "The way I see it, you have two options. The next time he asks, reject him and suffer the consequences, or accept his proposal and shoulder the burdens of queen."

"Well I could have figured that out." I scoffed. "Besides, I told him I would have his answer within a month. Expect him to invite me in often. As I said, I like him already as well, but I am not sure how long I should wait before accepting, if at all."

"Well as your friend, and your brothers friend, I think you should do what makes you happy." He said, surprising me.

"Since when have you cared about me being happy?" I said with a small smile.

"All the time." He laughed. "If you aren't happy, we suffer too." I let the comment go and laughed.

"Thanks Victor." I said, hugging him. "Even though you are saying that so I won't be so much of a hard ass." I said, smiling.

"Yea... umm.. It would be nice." He laughed.

"Good night Victor."

"Good night Lady Nightstrike." He said with a wave as he gathered up Fisk's cards.

I waved back as I walked out of the headquarers and then walked home. I opened the door to reveal Roran sitting at the table and patting his stomach. "That was great." He said with a laugh.

"I am not sure I want to talk to you." I said with a smile.

"Why?"

"Because you didn't say you were cooking for me tonight." I said, swishing my tail as I walked to the table.

"So how'd the dinner go with the king?"

"Eheheh..."

"That didn't sound good." He said, sitting up.

"No, it didn't go badly. I actuallly liked it. He just moves quick."

"So he is a good cat?"

"He is.. I like him, its just I need to know him more."

"Well Dad would be happy to know his little girl is courting. The king no less." He said with a grin.

"I guess. Maybe I will visit them tomorrow, should the king not invite me."

"If he does, Chef Roran will be there." He said with a dignified tone in his voice.

"You are so full of yourself." I laughed.

"You sounded the same way when you made commander."

"Mhm... Anyway, I had an eventful night. I am going to bed. Mind helping me?" I said, turning around so he could help me unbutton my dress.

"Of course not." He said, unbuttoning the back of my dress. I slipped out of it and gave him a hug. "Good night little sister." He said as I went to my room.

"Good night." I purred.

I fell asleep that night with dreams of me playing with a little kitten and King Grimpaw in a field of wild flowers.

I woke up at my usual hour with a sigh. "Is that what I really want? Kittens with the king? I don't know enough about him, but he seems like a good person..." I pushed the thoughts out of my head as I put on my cloak and I was surprised to see Roran was awake.

"Morning." He said.

"Morning." I replied.

"I am going to come with you to Mom and Dad's today." He said as he put on an apron.

I gave a nod and a smile as I walked out the door. I entered the headquarters and everyone was already around the table, including some I had sent out on a mission a few days ago. "Kyuren, Alarice, Hunter, welcome back. Was the mission a sucess?"

"Yes commander." Alarice, a female tiger tiylan said, saluting me. She was slightly taller than most humans and had golden hair that went down to the middle of her back. "I have the target item here." She said as she reached in her pouch a her waist and removed a shiny sphere made of topaz.

"The king will be pleased. I shall bring it to him at once. As for you three, take the rest of the day off." I said, taking the jewel and putting it in a pouch on my belt.

"Thank you Commander Shadow." Alarice said as she walked out the door with Hunter and Kyuren.

"I will be bringing this to the king." I stopped to notice Victor get a grin. "Victor. Stay here. I must speak with you afterwards. Fisk, Hawk, we will be doing guard duty one last time today. I will take my leave." I hurried down too the palace and into the throne room.

The king looked more than happy to see me. "Don't even." He said with a chuckle.

"Don't what my lord?" I said, confused.

"That." He said with another chuckle. "I have said before you don't need to call me anything but my name."

"I am sorry Shepard." I smiled. "Regrdless." I said, composing myself. "My Knives have retrieved the magic artifact you asked for." I pulled out the jewel and showed him.

"Good, good. It is beautiful, is it not?" He said, plucking it from my palm.

"It is." I nodded.

"Come with me. I must show you what my plans for this are."

I nodded and followed him down into a room he hasn't brought me to before. I couldn't believe my eyes when he opened a seemingly normal door to reveal a lavishly decorated bedroom with a canopy bed and large wooden dressers. "Is this..."

"Yes. This is the queen's bedroom, should I have one and she decide to sleep here. This gem goes to a belt I am having my blacksmith craft and mages enchant." True to his word, he led me to a stand upon which a golden plated belt was latched on. there was a pair of jewels on each side of a socket on the buckle, which I imagined was for the gem I gave him. "This goes here." He mumbled as he pressed the gem into the socket and bent the holders in place. After he had done this, a small light began glimmering in the topaz gem he had just placed in the middle and he let out a proud laugh. "It is nearly finished."

"What will it do?" I said, looking at the light coming from inside the gem.

"It will make sure I will not die from poisoning. Believe it or not, the canids are getting hostile. I hope it doesn't lead to war."

"I am by far the best assassin of our race..." I said, hoping myself he doesn't accept my offer.

"No, I do not want to throw the first blow. In the mean time, I have something else I wish to show you."

"Oh?" I said as he covered my eyes.

"You can't peek." He said with a laugh.

I could tell he didn't lead me out of the room, but when he uncovered my eyes, I saw a wooden tiylan head. It wasn't the bust that surprised me, it was what was on it. On the head was a beautiful golden crown adorned with rubies and sapphires. The webwork of gold on the crown was magnificent and I had to look away.

"It is gorgeous, like you." He said with a warm smile. He took the crown off of the bust and gingerly placed it upon my head. He lead me to a mirror and I couldn't help but purr. I looked stunning, despite me having a dark green robe and a bright golden crown. "Here." He said, taking my cloak. In a few seconds I was standing in the mirror naked and marvelling the crown. "It fits so well."

"It is beautiful." I said, taking it off. "But I have to return it... I am not queen, so I can't wear this. I must take my leave as well. My soldiers are outside and I know how they act when I am not present."

"Five more minutes." He said, rubbing my shoulders.

"Mrahh..." I murred, sitting down on the bed. "So why me?" I sighed as I purred louder.

"Because I feel you will make a strong queen and a fine mother."

"But what do you like about _me_?" I said, turnning around to face him.

"You are beautiful and cunning. You do your best in any scenario and from what your brother says you are very fun loving. Your dream is to be a mother, mine is to be a father, not so different. That alone tells me you are a caring person, and I can't help but feel we are kindred spirits. Your squad is the best we have, proving you are responsible. Need I go on?"

I mewed out of surprise, "You really know how to read people..." I said. 'I think I might have my answer sooner than a month.'

"Some have even called me a mind reader." He said softly with a smile. As he spoke I noticed his feline lips again and his long whiskers.

"Then.. What am I thinking?" I said quietly as I looked into his eyes.

"That you want to kiss me." He whispered back, surprising me with its validity.

"H-how.." I said with amusement. "I guess they were right in saying you are a mind reader."

"Your face says more than you think." He said as he moved his face closer to mine.

"Ohh.." I said as I closed my eyes. A few seconds later I felt his lips against mine in a kiss, making me feel like jolts of electricity were going through me. When we broke a few seconds later, I was speechless. I gave a dumb smile and after a few minutes, the king broke the silence.

"Are you available tonight?" He asked kindly.

"Sorry. I am not. I was going to visit my parents tonight with my brother. We haven't seen them in a few months now." I said, frowning.

"Mayhap, I can come with? If we are courting, we need your fathers blessing." He said.

"I forgot about that." I said, glad I could be with him.

"I shall look forward to it. He said as he took the crown and placed it back on the bust.

"I really must be going. Good bye Shepard." I said, slipping into my cloak and giving him a kiss.

"Good bye Lilac." He said calmly as I walked out of the gate. I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I walked into the headquarters.

"Victor!" I said, still bubbling as I ran to him and hugged him.

"Oh. Hey Commander Shadow." He said awkwardly as I hugged him.

"No more Shadow. I am Commander Lilac." I said happily.

"You are a hell of a lot happier... Who are you?" He laughed.

"Lilac. The king kissed me!" I said, bouncing on the tips of my paws, unable to control my happiness.

"So you really want me to start calling you Commander Lilac?" He said, looking at me auspiciously.

"Yes. It will be only a small step from people calling me Queen Lilac anyway."

"You are going to accept his proposal?!" He said in disbelief.

"Yes. I just don't know when. But anyway, we need to be in the trees. Come on!" I said as I grabbed his hand and ran out of the headquarters and to the gate. 'I can't wait for supper tonight.' I thought to myself as I sat in the tree, fantasizing about my future with the king.

* * *

><p>Ok, so this is chapter two (Again after it has been chopped up and glued back together) I didnt change much, but i still feel it is better than before. Like always R&amp;R (no flames plz)<p> 


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